Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to Sell

Posted by Geri Gentry on Aug 2nd, 2026

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK – Free Report) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report report published on Saturday.

CPK has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Chesapeake Utilities in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $132.00 target price on the stock. Barclays set a $142.00 price target on Chesapeake Utilities and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Chesapeake Utilities from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Chesapeake Utilities currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $137.00.

Read Our Latest Report on Chesapeake Utilities

Chesapeake Utilities Price Performance

Chesapeake Utilities stock opened at $132.78 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. Chesapeake Utilities has a 52-week low of $118.83 and a 52-week high of $140.83. The firm has a market cap of $3.19 billion, a PE ratio of 21.28 and a beta of 0.69. The company’s 50 day moving average is $126.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $127.92.

Chesapeake Utilities (NYSE:CPK – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The utilities provider reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.38 by $0.09. Chesapeake Utilities had a net margin of 15.11% and a return on equity of 9.53%. The business had revenue of $353.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $339.86 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 18.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Chesapeake Utilities has set its FY 2028 guidance at 7.750-8.00 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Chesapeake Utilities will post 6.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Chesapeake Utilities Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 6th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.735 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $2.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. This is an increase from Chesapeake Utilities’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. Chesapeake Utilities’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 47.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chesapeake Utilities

In other Chesapeake Utilities news, CEO Jeffry M. Householder sold 10,000 shares of Chesapeake Utilities stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.12, for a total value of $1,261,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 63,001 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,945,686.12. The trade was a 13.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Kevin J. Webber sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.37, for a total transaction of $254,740.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 12,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,611,485.24. The trade was a 13.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 1.36% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Chesapeake Utilities

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 292.9% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 220 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 94.7% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 222 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Chesapeake Utilities by 66.1% during the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 274 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Chesapeake Utilities during the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in Chesapeake Utilities by 38.8% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 304 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. 83.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Chesapeake Utilities

(Get Free Report)

Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE: CPK) is a diversified energy services holding company headquartered in Dover, Delaware. Through its operating subsidiaries, the company engages in natural gas distribution, transmission and storage; propane distribution; wholesale propane supply; and contract compression and natural gas liquids processing. Its core mission is to provide safe, reliable and cost-effective energy solutions to residential, commercial and industrial customers across multiple U.S.